LONG before Jamie Oliver and all those other TV celebrity chefs, there was Fanny Cradock.

Julia Darling's play reveals her driving ambition and a private life that any soap writer would die for. Sandra Hunt stars in this one-woman show, presenting an approximation rather than an impersonation of Fanny, who always looked dressed for a cocktail party, not spending time over a hot stove. She had a desire to succeed no matter what the cost to her personal life - that was secondary to basking in the fame of being the first celebrity TV chef.

The play disposes of three husbands and two children within the first ten minutes. Fanny virtually gave away her two sons, just as her mother had farmed out the youngster to her grandmother. She found her soul mate in Major Johnny Cradock, who left his wife and four children for her. She wrote books and magazine articles under an assortment of names before finding fame as a TV cook. Such was her success that this rather frightening woman filled London's Royal Albert Hall with a cookery demonstration.

Despite being billed as Fanny and Johnny Cradock, they never got around to marrying for years, possibly because she was still bigamously wed to a previous husband. Both Johnny and her sons were treated as kitchen helpers rather than family. Fanny was not a very nice woman and Hunt, to her credit, doesn't try to find any redeeming features. It's a fascinating story, all the same.

* Runs until tomorrow. Tickets (01904) 623568.

Published: 25/02/2005